Golf-practice device



Oct. 12 1926. 1,602,683

l C. KRAETSCH GOLF PRACTICE DEVICE Filed March 5, 1926 ffff Jaz/wife? Oct. 12 1926.

c. KRAr-:TscH

GOLF' PRACTICE DEVICE A med March 5, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 (7m/Infor l. Carl Knie/'seti gywfww UNITED STATES PATENToFFicE.

.CARL xRAETscH, or :Das MOINES, Iowa.

GOLF-.PRACTICE DEVICE.

Application illed Harch 3, 1.926. Serial No. $1,991.

The object of my invention is to provide a golf practice device -involving struct-ure whereby the various conditions of the game may be simulated.

More particularly, it is my object to pro- -vide such a device having various parts so arranged that golf practice may be carried on in such manner as to afford conditions for drivingsimilar to those on a golf course,

and' to provide means for checking the results of the plays, according to the effective- Liess, force, height, and lateral flight of the all.

With these and other objects in view, my

invention consists in the construct-ion, ar-` rangement and combination of the various taken on the 'line 3 3 of Figure 2; and

Figure 4 is a detail view of part of the impact mechanism and a sectional view of one of the pockets in volvingl an important feature of my device.

Various golf practice devices have failed to give tliedesired satisfaction, because they did not simulate to a sufficient degree the conditions undery which golf games are played on an actual course, and they failed c record enough'of the result of driving a all. 4

It is therefore my vpurpose vto provide in an indoor practice device in-a room suitable for the purpose a series of pockets, the

mouths of which are arranged in planes curved from side to side and from top to bottom. These pockets are arranged with `their axes in lines converging toward a common point, so that the balls' may be driven into the pocketswith a minimum likelihood` of striking .the sides thereof.

At the back of each pocket is an impact .de-

vicevfor registering the force of the ball`l in its flight. v y .y `By. his arrangement also, lthe sidewise flight of the bali can' be taken into considerationkto simulate the results when a ball r on the course is driven to the right or left from the'central line .downV the fairway.

I have provided also a curtain, which can be moved to position in front of the pockets or away from such position. On this curtain may be thrown a series of pictures representing portions of a golf course. Thus it is possible just before the ball is driven, to throw on the screen' or curtain a of the portion of the course upon which the players may be assumed to be playing.

In the accompanying drawings, I ave icture used tlie reference character 10 to indicate generally the side walls of the device, which may be the side walls of a room or otherwise as desired. These wallsmay be made of `any suitable material, such as wallboard, metal, canvas vor otherwise, as may bev suitable and desirable under the circumstances.

I have alsoshown over the front part of.

the device a top or ceiling member 1.1 for protecting the ceiling of the room, where the device is installed, against balls which may be driven almost directly upward.

At the front of the device, I have arranged a small, flat, low platform or the like 12, which will serve as the usual tee,

on which the ball 13 may be placed for playing. y

Adjacent to the tee y12 is a small space 14, which may have any desired 'dutline, but

isy shown rectangular, having along fiber rug or the like 15, simulating the rough of a 'golf course.. l In front of the tee andwhat I will for convenience call the rough space 15 is a larger area 16, comprising a box or container, having sand 1 therein, thus simulating another condition, which may be found on a golf course. Y

The main portion of the floor 18 maybe covered ywith a fiber rug to simulate the grass course.

' Adjacent to the rough 15, I place a projection lantern 19 for throwing images on the curtain hereinafter referred to.

yAt the back of the course, I arrange a l series of pockets 20, having the mouths 21 and the walls 22, converging toward each other toward the rear'. These pockets are arranged in lines or 1in a plane curved from side to side, as shown Witht is arrangement,the golfballs can be driven into the pockets with the least likelihood of striking the side walls thereof or of having their momentum destroyed by the impact on the side Walls.

The pockets 20 may be made of any su1table material, for example, .thin fiber ma be 'used, and the pockets may be mounte on cross rods 24.

Referring to Figure 4, it-will be noted that at the back of each pocket is a closure comprisin four closure elements 25, hinged as at 26'an 27 on brackets 28 and 29 on the outside of the pockets 20.

The closure elements 25 are normally,

ieldingly held closed by resilient memhers 30 connected thereto and to the brackets 29, as shown in Figure 4. This arrangement of the closure elements is such that when the ball strikes the closure elements at the back of the pocket, they will be swung to o en position, as shown in dotted lines 1n igure 4, to allow the escape ofthe ball, and

will then automatically return to closed por sition.

These closurev elements 25 also help to slightly guide the ball to make 1t strlke the im act device 31.

gne of these impact devices is yieldably mounted in the rear of each pocket on a rod 32slidabl mounted on supports 33 and 34 and yielda ly held by a spring 35 at the forward limit of its movement.

These impact devices may be connected l with registering means not here shown for 35 thus registering the impact of each ball.

In this connection, it may be mentioned that these impact registering means, when employed, may be so arranged that when the ball is given just the desired direction, it wilLgo into certain pockets and register on said 1m act devices for registering for instance t e equivalent of a two hundred yard drive.

.If the ball goes too high or too low, it

can be made to register the equivalent of a less distance.

Likewise, if it goes into the side pockets, it will register greater or less distance according to the height of the pocket, which it enters.

For further stimulating interest in the game flexible curtains 36 and 37 are mounted on rollers 38 and 39 in casings 40 and 41 near the bottom and top of the pockets. The

free edges of the curtains or screen members I' 36 and 37 are mounted on rods or the like 42, which travel in curved guide slots 43.

Connected with the rod '2 is a rope or the like 44, extending over a pulley-45 located at such a point as to properly guide the curtain or screen 36 for moving it to open position, and thence over a guide or the like 46 to position near the tee.

A flexible device 47 is connected with the Y. rod-429i theupper screen 37 and is thence A ythc removal of the extended around the pulley 48, and is then connected to the exible member 44, so that the movement of the flexible member 44,

when it is pulled over the guide 46 will open gives the player a visible representation of' the course, and when the rope 44 is released, he can drive with that representation in his mind.

Insomuch as good golf requires that the attention be entirely centered on the ball for an instant before driving, it is obvious that icture is not substantially detrimental to t e players game.

The ball is driven and passes into and through one` of the pockets and strikes against one of the impact devices 31. The particular vertical tier of pockets will register the distance of the flight of the ball to the right or' left of the proper line.

It is to be understood that the game is to be played with a chart (which indicates a hole on a golf course), laid out to scale, composing a driving tee, fairway, rou h, sand bunkers, and a putting green wit a four inch hole in the center.

Thus for example, the ball is placed on the tee 12A (Figure 3), and is driven, and it goes through a pocket 20, behind which is a registering device, which registers the distance that the ball would travel (say 175 yards). It also registers what vertical tier of (pockets the ball passes through (say secon to the left of the center).

Then -to secure the score, it is necessary to turn to the chart, and track a line straight 175 yards, which indicates the distance the ball travels, and then at right angles to the let ten yards' (as each vertical tierrindicates the distance out of line the ball travels) and make a. cross on the score chart.

Then if this location on the score chart is noted thereon as fairway, the next shot is taken from olf the same tee, but should this location of the halldenote on the chart that the hall is in the' roug the next shot must vthe putting green as noted on the chart.

If the game is properly scored on this chart, the distance of the ball from the hole is shown, say 6 feet, for example. -Tlie hole 100 and putting 'green 101 'are lshown in Figure 3.

Now the ball is placed 6 feet from the hole on the put-ting green, and the number of strokes it vtakes to put the ball in the hole, plus the number of `strokes it took4 previously to get from the tee to' the green is your score for this hole.

Charts should be numbered similar to -the holes on a regular golf course, thus chart No. 1, is hole No. 1, and so forth. Each chart should be different in regard to distance from tee to putting green, lay of the course, in regard to the roughs, bunkers and other.` hazards.

It will be seen from the foregoing illustration that with my practice device, the" game can be played under conditions which gives it unusualinterest for practice devices, because of the fact 'that playing conditions are simulated so closely.

Modifications' may be made inthe details of structure and of the playing rules under which the game is played withoutl departing from the real spirit'and purpose of my in vention, and it is my intention to cover by my claims, any modified forms of structure or use of mechanical equivalents, which may be included within the scope of such claims.

I claim as my invention 1. In a device of the class described, a series of pockets with walls converging from their mouths, arranged in vertical and horizontal rows, with the lines of their axes converging toward a common distant point.

2. In a device of the class described, a series of pockets with walls converging from their mouths, arranged in vertical and horizontal rows, with the lines of their axes y converging toward a common distant point,

and independent impact devices adjacent to the bottoms of the res ective pockets.

3. In a device of t e class described, a series of pockets with walls yconverging from their mouths, arranged in vertical and horizontal rows, with the lines oaf their axes converging toward a common distant point,

and a curtain adjustable in a curved plane in front ofisaid pockets. 'I

4. In a device of the class described, a series of pockets with walls convergin from their mouths, arranged in'vertical van horizontal rows, with the lines of their axes con verging toward a common distant point, and

' yielding clos/ure elements for the pockets.

5. In a device of the class described, a series of pockets arranged in a group with their axes in lines converging toward a'com-v 'mon point, yielding closure elements for the bottoms of the pockets, -and impact receiving means adjacent tothe bottoms vof the pockets. l

6. In a device of Athe class described, a series of pockets arranged in a group with their axes in lines converging toward a common point, yielding closure elements for the bottoms of the pockets, and independent impact receiving devices .arranged adjacent. to the bottoms of the respective pockets.

7. In a device of ithe class described, a series of pockets, with -walls converging from their mouths, arranged, in vertical and horizontal rows with the lines of their axes converging toward a common distant point, the mouths of said pockets being arranged in lines curved from side to side.

8. In a devicev ofthe class described, a series of pockets, with walls 'converging from their mouths, arranged in vertical and.

lines curved from side to side and from top to bottom of the rows.

- 10. In a device of the class described, a series of pockets, with flexible fabric walls converging from their mouths, arranged in vertical and horizontal rows, with the lines of their axesconverging toward a common distant point.

l11. In a device of the class described, a

series of' pockets arrangedin a group with their axes in lines converging toward a comint, and yielding closure elements for the ttoms of the pockets, comprising hin ed members,l and means for yieldably' hol ing such hinged members in closing position.

12. In a device of the class describedz a series of pockets arranged in a group with their axes in lines converging toward a common point, and yielding closure elements for the hin .d members, and means for,yieldably hol ing such hinged members in closing position, said hinged members being normally inclined from their rear edges forwardly and away rom each other.

13. In a golf practice device, a ioor having jdiierent parts arranged to simulate parts of a golf course, for providing variety of practice in driving a golf ball, and a series of pockets. for receiving a ball driven fromsuch floor arranged with the lines of their axes converging, and means for throwing on a curtain immediately in front of said pockets, La course. A

14. In 'a golf practice device, a iioor havottoms of the pockets, comprising iso ,ing different parts arranged to simulate parts of a golf course, for roviding variety of practice in driving a go f ball, a series of pockets for receiving a ball 'driven from such oor arranged with the lines of their aires converging, impact means for stoppihg driven balls, and means for throwing on a curtain immediately in front of said pock- -ets a picture of. part of a' golf course.

15. In a golf practice device, a floor hav-l ing dierent parts arranged to simulate parts of a golf course, for providing variety of practice in driving a golf ball, a series 0f pockets for receiving a ball driven romsuch floor, a curtain adjustable to and from pol5 sition immediately in front of said pockets, and means for throwi on said curtain picture of part of a gol course. Des Moines, Iowa, February 19, 1926.

CARL K RAETSCH. 

